East Cowes Vics and Newport clash in Wessex League Cup

Newport welcomed Vics as ‘visitors’ to Beatrice Avenue in the first round of the Velocity Wessex League Cup.

At their previous meeting, a league match on March 29, Vics came away 1-0 winners to take the bragging rights.

The East Cowes side is yet to drop a point this season, securing four wins from four in the Wessex League Division One, while Newport sit just outside the play-off places.

Derby day action (Image: Paul Blackley)

Newport 2 - 2 East Cowes Vics (Vics win 4-3 on penalties)

After a feisty five minutes, it was Port who had the first chance of the match 

A beautiful long ball, played from deep by Henry West, found the head of Jordan Browne whose looping header had seemingly beat Vics keeper Alex Ram, but bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Pitman stumbles allowing Neale to net Vics' second (Image: Paul Blackley)

Despite the promising start, neither side had registered a shot on target in the first ten minutes, with the game played in the tightly contested middle of the park.

Vics upped the tempo and started pushing, with their reward coming from Josh NEALE, who took a second to set himself around 25 yards out and placed the ball into Port stopper Leon Pitman's top corner on the quarter hour mark. 

The East Cowes side did not let up, with a flurry of chances threatening the Port goal, the best of which saw the ball cleared off the line.

Kai Grace nets Newport's equaliser (Image: Paul Blackley)

Port came back into the match later in the half, after some more direct forward play started to catch out the Vics defence.  

A cross into the box by Jamie Wright was cleared as far as Joe BUTCHER on the edge, who made sweet contact and smashed the ball into the net through several Vics defenders, blinding Ram until the last second.

Vics came out from the break full of energy, with two great chances in quick succession.

The first saw Caleb Neale round the keeper, who lingered a little before committing, and saw his shot saved on the line by a sliding Port defender.

Alex Ram saves the first Newport penalty (Image: Paul Blackley)

Moments later, a headed backpass to Pitman fell short and was picked up by Neale again, who watched as his chip nestled onto the roof of the net.

Ten minutes into the second half, Vics finally retook the lead.

The ball, played across the pitch, was left for Raff Boyd-Jerr on the edge of the box, whose long range effort was saved well by Pitman with his feet.

Pitman stumbled getting back up, allowing Caleb NEALE to net from close range on the rebound. 

On the 70th minute, a brilliantly worked counter attack from Port ended in a perfect ball into the box by Butcher finding the head of Kai Grace, whose diving header beat Ram but could not beat the post.

After the final whistle (Image: Paul Blackley)

The match slowed down until moments before the 90th minute, when Port found an equaliser through GRACE, who caught the ball sweetly, hitting his shot across the goal from the six yard box, evading the diving keeper and finishing in of off the post.

In a lengthy and nervy stopped time, the last chance went to Grace, but his shot just sliced wide of the post and into the side netting.

And with that, the match was decided on penalties.

Port's first spotkick was saved spectacularly before Vics missed their third.

Pitman stepped up at 3-3 to take Port's final penalty, sending it over the bar.

Jordan Chapman took the long walk to the penalty spot to win it for Vics and secure a place in the second round of the Wessex League Cup.

Next up, both sides are in Wessex League Division One action, as Port head to Alresford Town while Vics welcome Ringwood Town.

Both kick-offs are at 3pm on Saturday (August 31).

The next time Newport and Vics face each other in the Boxing Day derby (December 26) later this year.